In a remarkable development, Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed on Friday that Russia has begun transferring nuclear weapons to Belarus, marking the first installment of such a move.
The Belarusian President, Alexander Lukashenko, had previously hinted at this eventuality earlier in the week, stressing the tremendous destructive power of these weapons, claiming they surpass the atomic bombs used during World War II in terms of their potential to cause immediate and large-scale fatalities.
Addressing attendees at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin stated, “The first nuclear charges were delivered to the territory of Belarus. But only the first ones.”
He further explained that this is only the beginning and projected that the process would be completed by the end of the year.
In March, Putin had already announced his plan to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, an ally of Russia.
He reiterated Russia’s commitment to its nonproliferation obligations, insisting that control of these weapons would remain with Russia.
However, Belarusian troops have been trained in the “storage and use of special tactical munitions.”
When asked about the potential use of these nuclear weapons, Putin asserted that such a measure would only be taken if the Russian state was under threat.
However, he added that he did not see a need for such an action at the present time.
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